One by one, the families of the five Tallahassee Police Department officers killed in the line of duty placed roses on a memorial in front of the agency’s headquarters.

TPD officers Warren T. Gay, a reserve sergeant; Ruby Rouden, a school crossing guard; Ernest Kearns Ponce DeLeon, a police officer; Daniel Dale Green, a sergeant; and Michael P. Saunders, a police officer, were honored Thursday by fellow officers and family members at the annual TPD Law Enforcement Memorial Service.

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Tallahassee Police Chief Michael DeLeo with a wreath honoring TPD officers killed in the line of duty Thursday.(Photo: Karl Etters/Democrat)

Chief Michael DeLeo, himself the son of a police officer, said the annual ceremony reaffirms the pledge that even though their loved ones are gone, they and their service are never forgotten.

“That’s an important message to carry on, that when we ask our officers to go out and do these dangerous things, that if something happens to them, and we all pray it doesn’t, that their bigger family will be there for the people they leave behind,” he said.

“It shows they’re not in it alone,” DeLeo said. “The pain doesn’t go away and that grief is always there but how do you relate, how do you recover and how do you carry on your loved one’s memory with honor.”

Joe West, whose wife’s father Gay was the first TPD officer killed on duty, said the annual ceremony continues their legacy and has become even more important in recent years.

“It’s so important to remember everyone who has stood for all of us in the line of service and for these officers that have given their lives,” said West, who is a candidate for Tallahassee mayor. “It becomes more meaningful every year as it seems that more and more officers are killed in the line of duty.”

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.